Tour Type:Winter Touring Tour Duration:11 Days (10 Nights) From:Munich toLucerne Tour Code:CSSR Operator:Albatross
from AU $3,619 pp
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Tour Description
Imagine three European countries over Christmas. Staying four nights over Christmas in a first class Swiss Spa Hotel in a hidden village perched dramatically in the snow-clad Swiss Alps. Ahhh… Christmas being perfumed and pampered or playing in the snow high above the town with dramatic views across the mighty, jagged peaks. Add to this the Austrian Lakes District, the Christmas Markets of baroque Salzburg and medieval Innsbruck, Zermatt and the mighty Matterhorn, Lucerne and your 1st Class panoramic carriage on the famous Glacier Express! Style, elegance and an incredible adventure!
Tour Highlights:
Celebrate Christmas over 4 nights in a first class Spa Hotel set in the dramatic snow-clad Swiss mountain village of Leukerbad
Savour the fabulous Christmas Markets in Munich, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Lindau
Enjoy a Christmas Eve Gala dinner, Christmas Day lunch and a farewell dinner with a Swiss Folklore Show in Luzern’s Stadtkeller
Discover the numerous hotel spa facilities and immerse yourself in steaming hot open air swimming pools and therapeutic spas surrounded by snow covered mountain peaks
Stay 2 nights in the Austrian Lakes District, enjoy hot chocolate and ginger biscuits in Salzburg and visit the Silent Night Chapel
Explore medieval Innsbruck
Stay 2 nights in Appenzell, visit historic Lindau and enjoy a horse drawn carriage ride
Glide through the Swiss Alps in 1st Class Glacier Express panoramic train carriages
Take the cog railway to the alpine resort of Zermatt and see the mighty Matterhorn
Enjoy a farewell night in the lovely lakeside town of Lucerne
Tour Inclusions
All sightseeing, scenic drives and excursions described in the itinerary
Fully escorted by our experienced Tour Manager
First class touring coach
End of tour tips to Tour Manager, drivers and guides
10 nights selected accommodation
Hotel porterage (1 bag per person)
Free use of pools, gym and twice daily aqua aerobics sessions in the Lindner Hotel, Leukerbad
Full buffet breakfasts daily
8 dinners including Welcome dinner, special Christmas Eve gala dinner, Christmas Day dinner and Farewell dinner with music and drinks at the Stadtkeller
Tea and coffee with all dinners
Welcome drink in Munich, mulled wine in Fuschl, special hot chocolate and biscuits in Salzburg
1st Class Glacier Express train – Premium Carriage
Munich
Your tour commences this evening in wonderful Munich. Shopping is always excellent in Munich - particularly around the town hall and the decorated wooden Christmas Market stalls. Before your Bavarian style buffet dinner enjoy a welcome drink in the hotel. Stay:Maritim (D)
Day 2
Fuschl
A leisurely start as we cross into Austria to spend lunchtime in Lake Mondsee and visit the church made famous in the wedding scene of the film the 'Sound of Music'. Later we drive deep into the Lakes District and visit Hallstatt. Set on a rocky terrace jutting into the quiet dark water of the lake surrounded by towering peaks, this is considered the oldest inhabited village in Europe and perhaps the most beautiful in Austria. Afterwards, passing Wolfgangsee (lake), we soon reach Fuschl - the tiny country village on Lake Fuschl. Only 30 minutes from Salzburg this is our home for the next two nights. This evening join in a torchlit village walk followed by a hot drink. Stay: Schützenhof Hotel (B/D)
Day 3
Fuschl
We have included a full day excursion today. En route to Salzburg our first stop is at the nearby village of Oberndorf where we visit the famous ‘Silent Night Chapel’ on the site the Christmas carol was first performed. We then continue onto Salzburg – the Baroque city of Mozart sitting beneath its enormous Festung (Fortess). A walking tour with an expert local guide will introduce you to this enchanting city, including several locations used in the film 'Sound of Music'. As a finale you will assemble amongst the fir trees in the small stone courtyard of the St Peter's Keller, dating back to the 1500's and Salzburg's oldest restaurant, for some hot chocolate and biscuits. The rest of the day is free to enjoy the city. Maybe take time to visit the huge castle which is fascinating, and don't forget to soak up the atmosphere of the famous Salzburg Christmas Markets. (B/D)
Day 4
Appenzell
A leisurely day as we follow the spectacular Inn Valley across the Tyrol we reach the Winter Olympic resort of Innsbruck mid morning. You will have plenty of time to explore the old town with its famous Golden Roof and Christmas Markets. After lunchtime we continue past St Anton and through The Arlberg Tunnel into the Appenzell Region of Switzerland. Surrounded by undulating fields, hills and mountains, Appenzell is old fashioned even by Swiss standards being full of well-preserved 16th-century buildings, including some delightfully painted wooden houses. We stay here two nights. Stay: Hotel Hecht (B/D)
Day 5
Appenzell
This morning we make our way to the German border and to the banks of Lake Bodensee (Constance). Here we stop at the beautifully preserved island town of Lindau, Germany’s southern most city, complete with medieval lighthouses and cobbled stone streets. This afternoon we will go to Neu St Johann to enjoy a delightful horse drawn sleigh ride followed by dinner in your hotel. (B/D)
Day 6
Leukerbad At Chur we board the famous Glacier Express train which takes us along the ‘Valais’ through Switzerland’s finest mountain scenery to Brig. Ranked as one of the world’s top train trips you will cross some of the 291 bridges, the 2,033 metre Oberalp Pass and go through some of the 91 tunnels. We have reserved Premium Seats in the panoramic carriages. Re-boarding our coach we drive up the winding Alpine road as it climbs through ravines and frozen waterfalls to reach our Christmas destination – The Spa Town of Leukerbad. Set in a hidden valley at an altitude of 4,600 feet your Christmas Village is surrounded by towering, jagged peaks. Hot, therapeutic, natural thermal water springs out from these mountains - an astonishing 3.9 million litres per day. Two of the next three days over Christmas are completely at leisure. This evening is free. Stay: The Lindner Hotel and Alpentherme (B/D)
Day 7 to
8
Leukerbad - Christmas Eve & Christmas Day
Christmas as it should be - simply relax, take in the hotel spa and pampering treatments or ski on the slopes high above town. Take each day as you wish. Breakfasts and dinners are included both days. On Christmas Eve we have included a Gala Dinner in your hotel and on Christmas Day you also enjoy a special Christmas dinner. Time to enjoy the twice daily included aqua aerobics sessions in the hotels facilities. For those that wish to spend a few days being perfumed and pampered there are numerous specialist beauty services at your fingertips from Thalasso treatments to Fango Mud packs. (B/D)
Day 9
Leukerbad - Excursion to Zermatt
A special day today! We return to the Valais (the broad “Valley” that cuts through the high Alps) and drive up to Tasch, where we catch a cog railway train up to the world-famous alpine resort of Zermatt. Set at an altitude of 5,315 ft, the village is surrounded by a dozen huge peaks and dominating all is the mighty Matterhorn. Petrol-driven vehicles are banned from the village and as such the peace and quiet enhances the wooden chalets and small winding village streets. Stunning! Relax in the crisp clean air or perhaps take the Gornergrat funicular train to the highest open air railway station in Europe. At 10,170 feet the view from the top across the Alps is beyond belief. Returning to Leukerbad your evening is free. (B/D)
Day 10
Lucerne
Driving to Montreux on Lake Geneva, we have included entrance and a guided tour through the beautifully preserved Chateau Chillon. Later we journey on to the lovely lake-side town of Lucerne with its covered wooden bridges. Your farewell dinner tonight promises to be an unforgettable experience as we dine in a local Swiss Restaurant and enjoy traditional Swiss fare and a Folklore show. Stay:Hotel Schweizerhof (B/D)
Day 11
Depart Lucerne
Sadly your Christmas tour comes to a close and it is time to say farewell. Maybe you will be joining one of our exciting New Year Tours? (B/D)
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Tour Prices
Tour prices are per person. Please request a quote for tour availability.
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START DATE
END DATE
BROCHURE
(Twin Share)
BROCHURE
(Single)
OUR
SAVINGS
OUR
PRICE
17 Dec 2012
27 Dec 2012
AU $3,769
AU $4,498
Save $150
AU $3,619
Note: The majority of departures above will proceed or are guaranteed to depart. We will outline the status of your departure date in your quote along with all applicable discounts and specials.
Tour Discounts & Options:
Tour options, extras, upgrades and discounts!
Click on the descriptions below for more detail. We will apply all valid discounts automatically to your quote to provide you with the best possible price. Terms & Conditions apply to the discounts below.
The prices on our site are land only prices. If you would like to include flights with your quote, then we have some amazing specials for you to take advantage of!
Flight specials only apply for clients booking this tour from Global Journeys. Terms & Conditions apply and full details will be provided in your quote.
General Information
The information below relates to this itinerary only.
Tour Operator: Albatross Tours
Albatross Travel was established in 1995 and offers European escorted coach tours designed specifically for Australians and New Zealanders. With smaller group sizes and a more sensible pace with 2, 3, 4 and even 5 night stays in most places, you will enjoy much more genuine sightseeing time and less time sitting on coaches. All Albatross tours are genuinely inclusive and already includes all excursions, special visits, sightseeing tours, feature dinners and even your end of tour tips!
Our tours are 'genuinely inclusive' – even 'end of tour' tips to your tour manager and driver are included. You will NOT find any 'options lists' or later charged excursions and extras. We include all the sightseeing, special dinners and relevant entrances.
Our tours are designed with a more leisurely pace with 2, 3, 4 and even 5 night stays - that's important; you are not constantly packing and unpacking your bags.
Our tours are specifically designed to suit the travel needs of Australian and New Zealand passengers. We have less travelling time and more sightseeing time. We indicate the average number of kilometres travelled per day on each tour.
Our feature hotels are selected for their style, character or location
Travel documents, including any paper tickets or e-ticket itineraries and other information, are sent approximately two to three weeks prior to departure, provided full payment has been received by Global Journeys.
Not fully inclusive as we don't include all meals. Albatross Tours are genuinely inclusive - there are no 'options lists' or later charged excursions on our tours and even 'end of tour' tips to your tour manager and driver are included. We include all the sightseeing, 'special' dinners and relevant entrance fees.
Albatross touring coaches are first class, air conditioned touring coaches with 44-49 seats. Anzac and Christmas tours have a maximum of 42 passengers, European Summer tours have a maximum of only 30 passengers!
Our hotels are generally First Class. If a first class hotel is not used the alternative is selected for a very good reason - for its style, character or central location. Sometimes in certain towns or regions, first class hotels are simply not available. Naturally all bedrooms in all hotels have private facilities. Generally throughout Europe tea and coffee making facilities are NOT available in the rooms.
No, each country varies due to that country's system of grading hotel rooms (e.g. room size, facilities etc). Single rooms in European and Turkish Hotels are sometimes smaller than twin rooms and quite often have one single bed. Regarding twin share rooms. Throughout much of central Europe traditional hotels sometimes offer 'French Twins' which are 2 separate beds and mattresses attached together and sharing a single headboard. These are used for twin share or double rooms.
Yes, however Individual passengers can request us to match them up in a twin share room with another individual of the same sex. Should we not be able to match you in a twin share room by the final tour balance payment date the single room supplement rate will apply. Please Note: should you be 'matched' with another person we cannot be held responsible if the choice is not to your satisfaction. You must consider there will always be a certain risk of incompatibility.
Tipping is an integral part of the service industry in Europe. A service worker – waiter, taxi driver, barman etc will be paid a base salary to perform a task and their employers expect them to supplement their wages by earning tips. Remember your tour package price INCLUDES the end of tour tips to both your Tour Manager and Driver.
No, all prices shown are land only prices for the tours. You need to add the cost of international flights, air taxes and fuel surcharges, travel insurance. Your Global Journeys dedicated tour consultant can organise these for you if you wish or you can book your own. Before booking your flights please confirm with us that your tour departure date is Guaranteed to operate.
No – you will be required to make your own way to and from the hotel at the beginning and end of the tour. Our passengers all arrive independently on different dates, from different locations and since many arrive by train or using car rental we are unable to book individual transfers.
We have Guaranteed Group departures. All Albatross tours are group touring programmes. The term 'group tour' is defined as having a minimum of 7 passengers travelling. Once the tour confirms 7 deposited passengers travelling, it guarantees that the group tour will depart. Please ask your Global Journeys consultant and we will confirm the current status the tour departure.
We have a dedicated section on our website providing more detailed information on Albatross Tours including FAQ's on what you need to know before, during and after your travel; as well as information on their 'Touring Styles', and a comprehensive search facility to enable you to easily find more of their tours. Read more> (NB: This link will take you away from this tour itinerary page).
Airport Transfer Information
You will be required to make your own way to and from the hotel at the beginning and end of the tour. Albatross are unable to include individual transfers. Global Journeys can book extra pre and post tour accommodation to fit in with your flight arrival and departure dates.
Terms & Conditions:
Yep, all the boring small print! We still recommend you read it all though, as no one likes surprises. Click here to read them now - they will open in a new window, or print them off to read over later with a cup of coffee!
Albatross Travel was established in 1995 and offers European escorted coach tours designed specifically for Australians and New Zealanders. With smaller group sizes and a more sensible pace with 2, 3, 4 and even 5 night stays in most places, you will enjoy much more genuine sightseeing time and less time sitting on coaches. All Albatross tours are genuinely inclusive and already includes all excursions, special visits, sightseeing tours, feature dinners and even your end of tour tips!